Home Farm Day Nursery

Home Farm Day Nursery 634 Birmingham Road, Lydiate Ash, BROMSGROVE, Worcestershire, B61 0QB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/01/2013 10/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress because staff know them well and plan a range of suitable activities and experiences which promote their learning and development.  Staff are warm and caring and as a result even the youngest children form strong attachments to adults who care for them.  Systems to safeguard children are strong. Rigorous recruitment procedures ensure that those who work with children are suitable to do so.  Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths of the setting and the areas that would benefit from improvement. This is because self-evaluation systems are rigorous and take good account of the views of staff, parents, children and outside agencies such as the local authority early years support team.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion the quality of teaching drops when some staff focus too heavily on the routine of the day and do not take all opportunities to extend children's learning and development.  Leaders do not yet monitor the progress of groups of children to be assured that they make equally good progress as their peers.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and quality of the teaching.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed joint observations with the manager and one of the owners of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager and two of the owners of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the provider's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Home Farm Day Nursery opened in 1992 and has been under its present ownership since 2010. It operates from two floors in an extension to the owner's home. Children have use of four rooms and a secure enclosed outdoor play area which includes a wild nature garden. The nursery is in a rural setting close to the M5 and M42 motorway links and near to Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.00 am to 5.30 pm for 51 weeks of the year. Home Farm Day Nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 67 children on roll all of whom are in the early years age range. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. It currently supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of staff who work directly with the children. Of these, 7 hold senior practitioner status and 9 hold Level 3 qualifications. Six staff are currently studying at degree level. The nursery has achieved bronze and silver Healthy Early Years Setting awards.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 Ensure that staff take every opportunity to promote children's learning and development.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 Develop the systems to monitor children's progress to include monitoring the progress of groups of children.

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who attend

Children at Home Farm Day Nursery are making good progress towards the early learning goals as staff know them well and provide suitable experiences to build on what they already know and can do. Children happily enter the nursery, are eager to attend and quickly and easily settle to their learning. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn and as a result, children benefit from well-planned activities which are linked to their interests and developmental needs. Children are encouraged to make choices in their play and move with confidence, exploring all areas of the provision choosing from a range of easily accessible toys, activities and equipment. Very young children are cared for in a comfortable, well equipped room. They demonstrate a strong sense of belonging as alongside staff they select toys to play with; staff interact animatedly with babies as they explore the properties of bricks and the sound they make as they are banged together.

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who attend

Children make good progress in developing communication and language skills. Staff interact well in children's play. They ask questions to encourage children to think and express themselves. They discuss with the children that the snowmen they had built two days previously had not yet melted because the weather remained cold and the sun was not shining. Children of all ages have many opportunities to explore language through singing. Even very young children become engrossed in exploring sounds and rhymes as staff successfully use props such as tapes, books and small world play to engage them. Staff support older children to develop their early reading skills as together they explore the sounds that the letters in their names make. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They access outside play daily regardless of the weather and wrap up warm so they can enjoy exploring the proprieties of snow and listen to the sound

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who attend

of it crunching under their feet. In the nursery's wildlife garden children explore growth and the natural environment when they observe animals and grow, harvest and eat their own vegetables. On occasion the quality of teaching drops when some staff focus too heavily on the routine of the day and do not take all opportunities to extend children's learning.

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who attend

Staff gather accurate information through observations and discussions with parents to help them establish children's starting points and stage of development. They regularly observe children in their play and make good use of Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage to assess the quality of children's progress. Key persons identify the next steps each child needs to take in their learning and development and use this information to plan suitable activities. They record children's progress using individual 'learning journeys' to which parents contribute by sharing 'wow' moments of learning that occurs at home. Systems to complete two-year-old progress checks for the younger children are well developed.

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who attend

The provision for children with identified additional needs is good. The setting is building good links with a range of outside professionals such as the local authority special educational needs co-ordinator and speech and language therapists. Together they work closely to put plans in place for children needing additional support.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The quality of care provided for children is a real strength of the setting. There is a welcoming and well-resourced learning environment both inside and outside. It is evident that staff have a very good understanding of the needs of the children who attend and demonstrate an extremely caring and warm approach to them. As a result, children are confident in their care. Well established key person system means that even the very youngest children form strong attachments to significant adults in their lives; very young babies are warmly received into the setting by their key person and as a result separate from their parent without any anxiety. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement making them feel proud of their achievements and encouraging them to have-a-go.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are good role models and their high but appropriate age related expectations of what is acceptable behaviour results in children who are well behaved and considerate of each other. Children are learning how to share and take turns and even the very youngest do so easily when given gentle reminders by staff. Staff support children well to understand how to keep themselves safe. In icy weather they remind children how to walk safely in the outdoor area to prevent themselves having an accident. Children respond well to direction and play safely in snowy conditions. Comprehensive risk assessments means that children can explore their natural environment safely. For example, they explore the wildlife garden and pond under the close supervision of staff.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's healthy lifestyles are promoted well. They join in physical play with enthusiasm and manage their personal hygiene well. Children learn about healthy eating and the importance of a good diet. For example, they eat fresh fruit snacks, healthy lunches and grow vegetables in the nursery garden. They recognise when they need a drink and independently access their water bottles. Staff now place an even greater focus on promoting children's physical skills and encouraging physical exercise.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff give relevant focus to supporting children's transitions through the setting and then onto school. Good links with a number of local schools including visits by teachers means that children are familiar with the key school staff and are well prepared to transfer to school.

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provision

Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to providing the best learning and care possible. They have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in meeting the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for both learning and development and welfare. Thorough self-evaluation and careful monitoring of the provision means that leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the setting and where improvements are needed. The implementation of comprehensive action plans is successfully driving improvement. For example, leaders swiftly addressed all areas identified as needing improvement at the last inspection; documentation is now appropriately maintained and staff now focus more closely on supporting children's understanding of healthy lifestyles and are better deployed during lunchtimes. A focus upon improving observation and assessment procedures has seen this aspect of provision improve so that staff now have a very good understanding of each child's progress and

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provision

development. Through close monitoring leaders also have a good understanding of each child, although they have yet to monitor the progress made by groups of children so they can identify where extra strategies may be required in order to close gaps in learning.

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provision

Leaders place great value on developing a well qualified and skilled staff team. Staff are provided with a good range of opportunities for professional development such as training in safeguarding, behaviour management, special educational needs, common assessment framework (CAF) and first aid. A high proportion of staff are supported to undertake training at degree level. To promote practice still further, plans are being developed for the sharing of good practice amongst the staff team. Leaders monitor the quality of practice and the educational programmes through observing practice and monitoring the quality of planning and assessment. Staff are set staff targets linked to the setting's overall plans for development which are reviewed through the setting's supervision and appraisal processes.

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provision

Staff are well trained in child protection and rigorous recruitment and induction procedures ensures that those who work with children are suitable to do so. Regular updates through staff meetings and written communication means that staff have a consistent knowledge of all policies and procedures and work well together to keep children safe from harm. The setting works well with a range of agencies in order to enhance the provision for children. For example, leaders and staff welcome support from the local authority early years and childcare service to evaluate their strengths and identify actions for improvement. Staff work alongside outside professionals in order to develop specific programmes for children who have identified needs.

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provision

Good partnerships have been established with parents and opportunities to share information about their child are provided at the start and end of each day. Parents value the support they receive from staff and report that they are extremely pleased with the care their children receive. Parent's views and ideas are welcomed and actively encouraged. Leaders regularly canvass parents' views through questionnaires, analyse the responses and act upon parents' requests.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY416923 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 901520 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 0 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Home Farm Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 10/02/2011 Telephone number 01214 534678

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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